Spices, Sand and Sunburn

On Saturday I met the Gap Adventures group at the Garden Lodge in
Stone Town. After a great intro/welcome dinner at Mercury's, named
after Freddy Mercury who was born Farouk Bulsara right here on
Zanzibar, we headed off the next morning for a spice plantation tour
en route to Nungwi.

Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island; its tropical climate is perfect
for growing everything from coconuts to pepper to saffron, all of
which is readily available at local markets and souvenir shops. First
thing we were shown on the spice tour were what looked like green
beans, but were in fact vanilla pods. In the early stages they don't
smell yet, but after picking they are left in the sun to dry for a few
weeks and turn black and fragrant. Also grown on the island is
nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper, and a whole host of
tropical fruits like rambutam, bananas, pineapple and mango. Of
course we got to sample a bit of everything! The most interesting
fruit was the soursop - never heard of it either? Join the club - it
looks a bit like a big cherimoya, both inside and out. It's also
called a custard apple. Beautiful sweet white fruit inside with large
black pips. The group unanimously decided we should stock up on local
fruit for the truck before we get going again. There was also a
curious plant called the lipstick plant, so called because when you
split it open there are red seeds inside a bit like a pomegranate, but
when you crush the seeds you get a very strong red/orange paint that
the women used as lipstick back in the day. When in Rome, right? Us
girls decided to give it a go, but I don't think we looked that
fetching :P

After the spice tour we drove another hour to Nungwi Beach, at the
very northern tip of the island. THIS is the place that dreams are
made of (and where a lot of postcards are shot)! Coral white sands,
impossibly blue ocean, balmy 30 degrees and ocean breezes,
restaurant/bar hanging over the sea... this is what holidays are all
about. The team uniform changed from modest, loose flowy clothing to
bikinis and towels as we hit the beach like a force to be reckoned
with. Hendrik, our Gap tour leader, had arranged a sunset cruise for
us on a traditional dhow boat (read: a tub made by nailing together
some coconut trees and stringing up a sail), and we sailed off into
the sunset.

The next day most of us went on a snorkelling tour which involved
another 2-hour sail to a faraway island. I felt like I'd been
transported to a different time & place as I stood on the top deck,
watching the world go by with the wind in my hair and the sun on my
back. Words can't describe how beautiful it was, hopefully my photos
can give you an idea.

Unfortunately the sun was a bit too much for us, particularly those of
us who'd spent a snowy winter in Europe, and despite multiple
(MULTIPLE) reapplications of SPF30+, most of us were a bit discoloured
that evening, ranging from a delicate shade of pink to an angry red.
I blame the doxycycline myself, having forgotten it makes you more
sensitive to the sun. But by today it's eased off a bit and I've
burned away my pasty whiteness - en dat mag altijd!

Today is our last day in Stone Town. On the schedule for me is a
visit to the old Fort market to pick up some artwork, another wander
around town and dinner at the night markets. Tomorrow it's a 5am
wakeup call for a 6am departure as we head over to the mainland and
the real Overlanding can begin.

Bring it on!

Until next time

x ML